Features

Berkeley firefighters rushed to the marina Tuesday afternoon, after a caller reported heavy smoke pouring from a boat moored at the end of D Dock.

The emergency crew discovered flames in the cabinets in the vessel’s galley and quickly extinguished the blaze, said Deputy Fire Chief Gil Dong. The blaze was later determined to have been caused by electrical system problems.

Welding fire

A homeowner working with an arc welder Sunday afternoon managed to ignite cardboard covering the floor of a detached garage, and the resulting fire caused heavy damage to the structure and its contents.

Deputy Chief Dong said the fire was reported at 5 p.m., and when firefighters arrived moments later they found heavy flames and smoke coming from the building in the 1700 block of San Lorenzo Avenue, which they quickly extinguished.

The fire caused about $10,000 in loss to the structure and its contents, he said.

New firefighters

Berkeley has 11 new firefighters this week after graduation ceremonies Friday, which fills the department’s budgeted slots.

The new graduates come from a diverse range of backgrounds, said Deputy Chief Dong. One was recruited from the New York Fire Department, another from the San Francisco department and a third from the Vallejo firefighters.

“Five of them either grew up in Berkeley or already lived here,” he said.

Holiday news

About 125 volunteers from the BFD, Berkeley Lions Club and the Alameda County Fire Reserve gathered in Berkeley Saturday morning to deliver more than 400 food baskets and holiday greetings to seniors and the less fortunate.

And speaking of the holidays, said the deputy chief, “be sure to be vigilant in this cold weather and keep those holiday trees well-watered.”